


Spiral

by Pinx_B



Category: Touhou Project
Genre: Angst, Drama, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Violence, Yuri
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-20
Updated: 2020-05-20
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:16:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24282712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pinx_B/pseuds/Pinx_B
Summary: Kaguya's increasingly volatile tendencies to cope with her immortality continue to be inflicted upon Eirin, leaving Yukari in two minds..
Relationships: Houraisan Kaguya/Yagokoro Eirin, Yagokoro Eirin/Yakumo Yukari
Comments: 4
Kudos: 29





	Spiral

* * *

Contrary to popular belief, Yukari only intervened in events that would impact her in the long run as opposed to every minuscule occurrence. 

" _What are you doing, Eirin?_ ".

One's personal affairs remained that way so long as the barrier or the delicate hierarchy of Gensokyo wasn't threatened. 

" _Fight back_ ".

That was Yukari's mentality and she kept to it. However, such sentiments were shifting, changing as she let certain individuals become closer to her. 

" _Eirin, defend yourself, please!_ ". 

Another disgusting thud permeated the doctor's study at Eientei, her body lolling back on the chair given the ferocity of Kaguya's punch against her cheek. 

She was battered, bleeding and bruised and yet, Eirin hadn't raised her hand to Kaguya once that evening. 

She _never_ did.

For as long as Yukari had opted to check up on Eirin to witness the horrific scenes of Kaguya unleashing her frustrations on the doctor, Eirin never struck her back.

She took it, took the abuse, took the violence and at the end of the ordeal, would hold Kaguya close as she wept against her chest with bloodied hands.

Tonight appeared to be no different as Yukari's hands clenched at her side as Kaguya raised her fist again, shaky yet determined to cause as much havoc to Eirin as possible. She wanted to look away, to not view the impending strike but the look of emotionless on Eirin's face made the blonde keep her gaze on the lunarians.

Eirin finally let out a wince as Kaguya's knuckles struck her jaw for the fifth time that sequence, her head whipping to the side as a splatter of blood escaped her mouth. She barely got a chance to recuperate from that attack as Kaguya's fists then connected with her stomach, 3 firm punches that had Eirin keeling over in a coughing fit, tears in eyes now.

Yukari's teeth gnashed together as her body trembled slightly, not being able to withstand what was going on any longer. 

But she knew she couldn't intervene, Eirin had warned her not to.

So the youkai was reduced to gripping the edge of her desk to compose her breathing as she watched Eirin lift her head back up, her gorgeous face littered with bruises and blood. 

The erudite goddess was in disarray, unkempt, a polar opposite to her usual put together self as she remained motionless beneath her flailing lover. 

Kaguya was panting heavily as she cried out something about feeling trapped, that Eirin should do _something_ about it and to stop being a coward.

Still, she never resorted to blaming Eirin for making the Hourai Elixir so there was clearly some rationality left in her mind. 

But it wasn't enough to subside the impuissant despair within her. 

The princess gripped the collar of Eirin's dress and pulled the woman to her face before tugging the item of clothing apart, her tone becoming demoralized, " _Do something to me!_ ".

Eirin wasn't Mokou, she had no intension of harming the woman she turned her back on everything for.

This much Yukari knew as she watched the stare down between the two through her gap. 

Eirin shook her head, declining Kaguya's offer which led to the woman growling in anguish before releasing Eirin's dress and slapping her across the face.

The youkai shifted her head to the side at the resounding sound of the slap, feeling the burn on her own skin as Eirin caught her breath, eyes misty and hands still down at her sides to clutch the edge of the chair instead.

" _Eirin.._ ".

The doctor's name floated out of Yukari's mouth in disquietude, ire and helplessness.

How she wished she could use her power to restrain Kaguya enough to calm her down, enough to let Eirin heal.

She was itching to do so but Eirin's plea of leaving them be when this happen registered in her mind as much as Yukari despised it.

" _It's the only way to get this out of her system_ " Eirin once explained whilst they were in bed together " _It happens less now so don't worry about it. I can handle it. The plight of immortality isn't one to gain a grasp of quite well and she was not expecting the hardships to come with it. This will take time but eventually, she will become accustomed to it_ ".

Yukari recalled it was after another one of Kaguya's meltdowns where using Mokou wasn't enough to quell the ugliness of her past where Eirin had discussed _why_ they became embroiled in this.

She remembered it vividly since the damage inflicted on her was brutal to a point where Yukari didn't bother waiting for Kaguya to fall asleep before whisking Eirin away to her home for the night. 

It took longer than usual to nurse her wounds and heal, the imagery of the soporific doctor writhing in her bed in agony as Yukari held her in her arms flashing across her mind. 

The explanation was barely transcribed over a whisper since Kaguya had unhelpfully choked her, snapping Eirin's neck in the process. 

It was a gruesome sight and a memory Yukari wouldn't be forgetting, along with the facile justification Eirin gave for Kaguya's behaviour. 

Even then, Yukari thought it was a ridiculous reason and now, watching it again, she stood by that sentiment.

She was brought out of her musings when Kaguya called out Eirin's name. 

Her hands nestled behind Eirin's head aggressively, making the sage look at her before Kaguya bared her teeth in between exasperating excuses of what was happening.

Eirin braced herself as she felt the woman's teeth pierce her neck once she pulled her braid back, not being able to halt the guttural groan which escaped her mouth at the intensity of the pain seeping into her skin.

Yukari flinched at the ferocity of the bite and wondered whether Kaguya's exposure to youkai was finally rubbing off on her. 

She bit down harshly enough to draw blood and kept her mouth clamped over Eirin's neck as her nails dug into the back of the woman's head, keeping her still since Eirin was actively trying to move her face away. Her hands dug into the side of her chair before she couldn't hold back anymore and gripped the princess's hips to steady herself as her body was reaching its limit.

Her gasps coated the air as she called out Kaguya's name, over and over and Yukari couldn't bare to watch the way Kaguya refused to release her. She moved her sore hands into the braid and yanked down which lifted the doctor's neck up further into the air, resulting in her blue eyes slamming shut at the myriad of sensations.

The pinnacle point of Kaguya's rage was met as she pushed herself against her despairing lover who held onto her senses like a taut string, barely snapping. 

She could feel Kaguya weakening finally, exerting all her energy as her teeth faltered in the flesh so Eirin finally had the opportunity to use her hands in an effort to remove the princess off of her.

Yukari watched on, her heart in her throat as she saw the lifelessness in Eirin's form and it was a sight she would never get used to seeing.

The entirety of the situation was something she would never adjust to. 

The calm and composed couple of Eientei, one going at the other like a fox mauling a caged bird.

As much as they enjoyed the freedom and civility that was Gensokyo, Yukari knew that their pasts would continue to taunt them, particularly Kaguya who was younger and more fragile.

So this onslaught of physical violence would continue until Eirin truly put a stop to it and the blonde wondered _if_ she ever would.

Slowly, Eirin cupped the back of Kaguya's head with one arm over her back while encircling the other around the woman's waist. Kaguya was reduced to sobbing into Eirin's neck and the saltiness of the tears burned at Eirin's wounds. She bit through the influx of additional pain and comforted Kaguya whilst allowing her body to start mending as she eased Kaguya down from her tirade.

She could assess the damage to herself and knew she'd be okay in a little while after some rest, but the blows she took to her torso were proving to be uncomfortable at best, more so with Kaguya still pressed against her. But Eirin didn't move, remained ensnared in Kaguya's serpentine embrace as she continued to cry in the midst of apologies.

It _always_ ended that way and Yukari shook her head whilst running a hand through her own hair, sighing.

The apologies would come the moment common sense took control again in Kaguya's brain.

She would sob, apologies, beg for forgiveness, kiss her, make love to her, then fall asleep.

Like clockwork.

And Eirin would accept it all.

Yukari's eyes remained on the duo as she took in the rest of Eirin's frame when Kaguya removed herself from the crook of her neck. She held the sage's face, wiping the bloodied lips, shaking her head in dismay as she apologised again, promising that it won't happen _again_. She rolled her violet eyes at that and she knew Eirin knew of how much nonsense that promise was but Eirin simply gave a weak smile, forgiving Kaguya of everything. 

If Kaguya felt better, then it wasn't in vain.

That's what Eirin told herself.

" _Is it worth it, Eirin?_ " Yukari wondered to herself, thoughts tinted with asperity, " _Enabling that kind of behaviour from her at the expense of your mind? You can't die, but your mind can"_.

Kaguya's gentle actions were a complete contrast to what she was doing before.

Her palm brushing gently over Eirin's swollen cheek. 

Her lips kissing over every mark she had left on Eirin's face and body.

Her fingertips easing each bump she could touch.

Such a contrast to the woman whom had barged into Eirin's office and mounted her without even giving a second for Eirin to figure out what was happening as the first slap began the following hour. 

At least it was over now. 

Yukari was grateful for that whilst slinking back into her chair but kept the gap open to watch the duo deliver their loving ministrations despite the horrific events which had occurred. 

The princess had nestled against Eirin's shoulder while her hand idly caressed down Eirin's exposed chest in her last bid of comfort before exhaustion settled over her form and she passed out, leaving the doctor to finally relax her being as she sat back.

Yukari took in the way her breathing finally eased up, less sallow as she stroked Kaguya's hair with one hand, the other going against her own head to ease some of the dulling sensations she could feel. The lump on her forehead was bright, almost pulsing as a trickle of blood slid down the open cut formed by Kaguya's hands. 

Said hands were in a state too from what the blonde could tell given the angle of her gap in the room and seeing it built up a foundation of fury in her own mind, saddened that Eirin had to subject herself to this level of abuse.

It wasn't right, youkai or not, this sort of behaviour was unacceptable.

Yukari hoped that the after events of this would be enough to convince Eirin that what was occurring didn't have to go on.

She _hoped_ , but she knew the outcome of that too.

***

It was later on during the night that Yukari made her presence known to Eirin.

All of Eientei was silent, its occupants asleep and the manor settling in the silence.

Eirin was awake as expected, addressing the remnants of her wounds while she steadily healed after she'd cleaned Kaguya up and let her rest in their bed.

She couldn't be near her lover right now in fear that some untapped side of her would do to Kaguya what she did to her. She knew it was in there, the cantankerous voice of reasoning telling her stop this madness, to not fuel Kaguya's deleterious coping mechanism but her love for the princess stamped out the rest of her rationality.

The doctor exhaled, seated at the edge of the bath while she brushed her hair down to the front of her chest to address a bruise at the back of her spine but it was proving to be troublesome. Her arms were still weakened but that was mainly due to her mental deterioration as opposed to the physical aspect.

Her own frustrations were boiling up as the woman let the cloth drop to the ground but was taken a back when she felt the cloth being dabbed down her spine.

She became rigid for a moment before she realised that it could only be _one_ person intruding on her without notice. 

"Yukari".

The youkai said nothing as she exited her gap and nestled on the ground behind the other sage, continuing her actions of seeing to the terrain of scars and bruises on Eirin's back.

It was like a canvass of Kaguya's lunacy, sporadically etched over Eirin's body.

Her violet orbs took in the tangible remnants of Kaguya's nails, fists and goddess knows what else Kaguya had inflicted on her after she left them be when they had sex. 

Eirin slumped forward at the comforting touch of her obscure lover, the delicate nature of her actions soothing the physical distress, as well as some of the mental ones.

This was another routine occurrence for them.

Kaguya enacting her dissatisfaction on Eirin and Yukari being the one she leaned on.

Eirin hadn't asked for the surreptitious youkai's assistance, nor had she expected it but overtime, Yukari was just there whenever it happened. She didn't bother scolding her for spying on them since that wouldn't do any good so she accepted it, accepted that _Yakumo Yukari_ would see the true dynamics of her relationship with Kaguya and how vulnerable she made herself.

But Yukari never uttered a taunt or comment about that. 

Nothing about how she was an immortal goddess, the mistress of medicine and how Kaguya was a meagre lunarian princess, one she should be able to stop with the flick of her wrist.

She never worded it like that anyway, choosing to bury her perorate manner of speaking. 

Instead, Yukari simply said what she always did, "This _has_ to stop".

"I know".

"I doubt that" Yukari replied beneath her breath, loud enough so that Eirin could hear it

Eirin didn't respond, eyes closing as Yukari abandoned the cloth and opted to touch her with her skin, the blonde's warm palm running over her back and pushing the silver strands away from her shoulder blade. It always amused Eirin when Yukari, the formidable sage of Gensokyo, showed such..humanity.

She wondered if that was the correct term for it and whether the impact of Kaguya's abuse had made her wary of the actions of others. 

Particularly those out of love. 

"You don't have to do this".

Yukari rolled her eyes and stood up, walking around to face Eirin before sitting down again in front of her.

The steam of the bath did nothing to hide the expanse of injuries on the front side of Eirin's body and Yukari instinctively touched the almost mauled area of the woman's neck where Kaguya had taken a sinking to. Eirin flinched as Yukari's thumb ran over the injury, her hand then scaling across Eirin's jaw.

"I don't.." she answered, "But _somebody_ has to ensure you are still alive".

"I cannot die".

"Not physically".

That made Eirin smile in a phlegmatic way, the youkai's indignant response seemingly chipping away at the frigid and empty exterior which had formed whenever Kaguya attacked her, "Is there a difference, Yukari?".

Yukari nodded and got closer to Eirin on her knees, her dress sliding along till she could get a closer look at her lover, "You'd be surprised at how some prefer beating a person just enough to break them mentally. One doesn't have to die in order to have their soul killed".

"How poetic" Eirin chuckled and pressed against the youkai's palm that was on her cheek.

"You can be in denial all you want, Eirin" Yukari chided and rested her other hand on Eirin's bare shoulder, looking down into the cerulean eyes that had appeared to be returning from the darkness they saw, "This ploy isn't ideal for either of you. Regardless of how much you may love her, this isn't healthy".

"And what do youkai know about the limitations of what is healthy and what isn't, hm?".

"Clearly more than you recalcitrant lunarians" Yukari shot back and tipped Eirin's head up further so that their eyes were locked, "Do you know, those whom instigate what Kaguya is doing to you end up being incarcerated both here _and_ the Outside World. It is a form of abuse whether you want to see that or not".

"It doesn't matter, I am subjecting myself to it, I know what I am doing. The princess does not".

"Oh, stop this insanity! She is a grown woman, not a child!". 

"Insanity.." Eirin repeated and closed her eyes when she felt Yukari gently stroke her fingers down her throat, easing the contusions remaining there from Kaguya's initial hold when she started to strangle her at the begin of the attack, "Doing the same thing over and over whilst expecting a different result".

"You know what it is so why not stop it. And don't tell me you cannot stop Kaguya".

Eirin shook her head, "I love her, I promised to stay by her side the moment I met her".

"That doesn't mean _anything_ if she is abusing you". 

Yukari was urging herself to stay in control of her emotions but to see the lunar sage so docile, so demure about this whole situation was wrenching her heart open.

Eirin opened her eyes to blink several times to clear her vision but she realised it wasn't her own tears that were dripping down her face, they were Yukari's.

How strange it was for Eirin to see the youkai sage so expressive and vulnerable.

For _her_.

She felt the teardrops caress her face as Yukari's teeth dug into her own bottom lip to stop the cornucopia of insults towards Kaguya from exploding. 

Deep down in the logical side of Eirin, she knew that the youkai's words were correct.

What Kaguya was doing to her was unhealthy, regardless of whether the princess loved her.

This isn't how one expressed love, she knew that.

But she loved Kaguya twice as much and would continue to be the wall Kaguya needed for her outbursts when Mokou wasn't good enough, when she couldn't understand what she and Eirin had endured.

"Don't be upset, Yukari, It _will_ stop eventually".

Just like a broken record. 

Yukari's fingers trembled around Eirin's throat in despair as she shook her head and continued to hover over the other woman.

"It won't". 

"Yukari, it will". 

Eirin's hands went up to gently clamp around Yukari's wrists as their foreheads pressed together in a mutual understanding that this would keep happening, because now, Eirin had become too adjusted to this unreasonable behaviour.

She expected it. 

It was the norm for her and nobody could intervene. 

Not even the kindness from the obscure youkai sage that had become her even more flaky lover, offering reprieve once Kaguya was done with her.

Yukari could do nothing about it as her eyes levelled with Eirin's looking up at her, "I'll kill her".

She was clutching at straws, she knew this, they both knew this. 

"Kaguya cannot die" Eirin smiled " _I_ made sure of that".

"Then I'll make her suffer" Yukari volleyed back, a slight slither of venom coating her melodious voice, ”I will hurt her if you cannot".

Tentatively, Eirin skimmed her hands down Yukari's arms that were now resting on her shoulders till she could grip the blonde's upper arms.

Yukari sunk into the firm hold as she had a nauseating feeling as to where the woman's thought process had gone the moment she threatened Kaguya.

She felt the briefest kiss over her lips, feather light, tasting tears but whether they were hers or the doctor's she didn't know. 

"If you harm Kaguya.." Eirin whispered. 

There was one thing Eirin was certain of as she pulled back slightly to look at Yukari, eyes wide yet dissociated.

She wanted Yukari to know of it too, what would happen to her if she even dared to lay a finger on Kaguya.

Eirin had done this before and she was more than willing to do it again to _anyone_ that threatened the princess, regardless of how she felt about them.

Yukari knew what was coming and her despair increased at the next words uttered to her in a tone that was far too soothing despite what was being said.

There was no hesitancy from Eirin, she had accepted her fate and Yukari would have to accept it too. 

Eirin was ensnared in Kaguya's grasp, willingly. 

There was no saving her. 

"I _will_ kill you, Yukari". 


End file.
